"Training Season" is a song by English-Albanian singer
Dua Lipa. It was released on 15 February 2024, as the second single from her third studio album, Radical Optimism (2024). Lipa premiered the song at the
66th Annual Grammy Awards before its release. "Training Season" peaked at number four on the
UK Singles Chart and at number six on the
Billboard Global 200. Elsewhere, the song reached the top ten in various countries, including Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, and New Zealand.
Background
Earlier in 2023,
Dua Lipa announced her upcoming third studio album would be released sometime in 2024 with a new sound that sees her moving away from the
disco sound of Future Nostalgia (2020), embracing more of 1970s-era
psychedelia.[2] After having deleted all of her
Instagram posts in October 2023, Lipa posted a picture of herself with red hair captioned "miss me?".[3] Following the single "
Houdini" (2023), Lipa released "Training Season" as the second single from her upcoming album on 15 February 2024.[4]
The singer previously teased the song title through a picture she shared on Instagram, wearing a sweater with the caption "Training Season" during a rehearsal.[5] On 24 January 2024 Lipa shared an instrumental snippet of the song through
WhatsApp. She announced the single the following day through her social media,[6] while also posting a clip on
Tik Tok singing the song's chorus in her car.[7]
Composition
Written by Lipa, along with
Caroline Ailin,
Danny L Harle,
Tobias Jesso Jr.,
Kevin Parker,
Martina Sorbara, Nick Gale, Shaun Frank, Steve Francis Richard Mastroianni, and Yaakov Gruzman, the song was produced by Parker and Harle.[8]Variety's Jem Aswad compared "Training Season" to the work of
ABBA and described its instrumental as a "powerful disco beat", and he further wrote that the song's melody "swerves into
Middle-Eastern scales".[9]Consequence's Mary Siroky wrote that song's
disco-pop sound calls back to "Houdini", while its "focused, self-assured lyrics" recall back to her 2017 single, "
New Rules".[10] It has also been described as a "
dance track based off a series of bad dates".[11] where Lipa is not "having the patience to teach someone how to treat her", singing: "Are you somebody who can go there? / 'Cause I don’t wanna have to show ya".[12] Its lyrics were conceived by Lipa after going on mediocre dates, having her denouncing unimpressive suitors.[7] She elaborated on the dual meaning of its lyrics, stating that it is about both informing men that she will no longer be training them about how to treat her as well as the completion of her own personal growth.[7]
Critical reception
Aimee Phillips of Clash called it alongside "
Houdini" "promising", noting that both acts "as more grounded, self-assured counterparts to Lipa’s googly-eyed opener. Not only are the beats darker, more textured and sexier, but the lyrics have more purpose, bringing us back to the strong and confident pop star image Dua Lipa has long portrayed."[13] Angie Martoccio of Rolling Stone praised her vocals on the track for sounding "stronger than ever", while also noting
ABBA's reference.[14] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian echoed the same feeling, highlighting ABBA's '
Dancing Queen' piano line".[15] For The Arts Desk's Joe Muggs, Lipa continues the reign of Future Nostalgia on the album's three singles with "that
Daft Punk-ish disco framework and some rock solid pop songwriting, and still absolutely sound like… well, like Dua Lipa."[16] Calling it an "ear candy", Jon Pareles from The New York Times was impressed by the "tickling guitar syncopations and girl-group harmonies popping out of nowhere."[17] Simirlaly, Nick Reilly of Rolling Stone UK labeled it a "one-two punch" track "which proudly wear the sonic DNA of
Tame Impala’s
Kevin Parker.[18] Rania Aniftos of Billboard ranked it seven (out of eleven) on the album's best songs, claiming "if the lyrics aren’t motivating enough, the thumping bass should do the trick."[19] On the other hand, El Hunt, writing for Evening Standard, called it "underwhelming".[20]
Music video
Vincent Haycock directed the music video for "Training Season", which was released alongside the song.[21]
Live performances
Lipa performed "Training Season" live for the first time at the
66th Annual Grammy Awards on 4 February 2024, before its official release.[22] On 2 March 2024, she opened the
Brit Awards ceremony with the performance of the song.[23]
Track listing
Cassette / CD / digital download / streaming single
"Training Season" – 3:29
7-inch single
"Training Season" – 3:29
"Training Season" (instrumental) – 3:29
Digital download / streaming single
"Training Season" – 3:29
"Training Season" (extended) – 4:55
"Training Season" (instrumental) – 3:29
"Training Season" (acapella) – 3:34
Digital download / streaming single
"Training Season" (live at the BRIT Awards 2024) – 3:39
Digital download / streaming single
"Training Season" (extended instrumental) – 4:55
Digital download / streaming single
"Training Season" – 3:29
"Training Season" (live at the BRIT Awards 2024) – 3:39
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ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 202421 into search. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
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ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 20248 into search. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
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ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 202422 into search. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 20248 into search. Retrieved 26 February 2024.